


Protocol

by asoulofstars



Series: A Mess You Would Wear With Pride [8]
Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, First Meeting, Flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:41:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27747679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asoulofstars/pseuds/asoulofstars
Summary: Riona gets to meet the new psychic detective that's been the hot gossip.
Relationships: Shawn Spencer/Original Female Character(s), Shawn Spencer/Riona Gallagher
Series: A Mess You Would Wear With Pride [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2028376
Kudos: 2





	Protocol

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place between 1x01 and 1x02; Juliet hasn't come into town yet. Riona's Wiccan, so she's definitely much more open to Shawn's "abilities", but she's also a stickler for her forensic protocols.

Riona glanced back at the crime scene as she fixed her hair clip, and she saw two men, very much _not_ cops, moving around. One of them, in a blue plaid shirt, leaned in close to the body. She tightened her hair clip and went storming back into her scene, feeling an intense wave of extreme _nope_ as he poked at the body. Without gloves.

“Get away from my body! Who in the hell do you think you are?” she ordered.

Riona saw Detective Lassiter smile at her from the corner, and she softened just slightly, but her hands moved to her hips as she tried to look as stern as possible.

The man shot back, surprised. “Shawn Spencer,” he replied. “Psychic Detective.”

Riona blinked at him. “Psychic Detective?” she asked.

He nodded. “And this is my partner, Plutonian Fae.” He gestured to the other man.

The partner raised his hand. “Hello.”

Riona looked back and forth between them. She determined that _Plutonian Fae_ hadn’t touched anything, but Shawn Spencer certainly had.

“You disturbed my crime scene. You touched my body. You are not following _any_ sort of forensic protocol. When I’m done here, I expect you to come down to my morgue, give me a DNA sample and a copy of your fingerprints, and then I’ll be able to exclude you from anything. Unless, of course, you’re a very daring criminal covering his own tracks,” she said.

“Not a criminal,” Shawn replied. “And, isn’t all this moving a little fast? A DNA sample. I don’t even know your name. Can’t I buy you dinner first?”

She could feel Detective Lassiter’s eye roll as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “I’m Dr. Riona Gallagher,” she said. “I’m a forensic specialist with the SBPD.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure, Dr. Gallagher. How about my partner and I bring you some lunch later, and then you can do whatever you want?”

Riona eyed him cautiously. “Hm. I suppose it’s a fair way to make up for disturbing my scene. And, Mr. Spencer? I’ll also want a demonstration on these psychic abilities.”

“I can do that for you, Dr. Gallagher.” He nodded enthusiastically.

“Now, I need to get back to my body, and you and Plutonian Fae need to exit my crime scene.” She smiled as she pointed to the door.

“Right! We’ll see you for lunch!” Shawn beamed at her and started walking out.

~*~

Shawn stopped in the doorway, grabbing Gus’ arm to hold up a second, as Lassie walked over to kneel beside Riona. The detective wasn’t quiet.

“Why are you indulging him? He’s a pain in the ass, and he has no reason to be playing detective. He’s not a cop.”

“I’m not a cop, either, Detective.” Shawn could hear the smile in her voice, even if he couldn’t see her face.

“Dr. Gallagher, you know what I mean.” A patented Lassie eye-roll.

“He’s got a good heart,” she said gently. “And I’d like to see what he can do. If he’s going to help us, then I say we let him.”

Shawn beamed, and he exited the scene.

“So, when should I be expecting my Save the Date card?” Gus asked.

Shawn looked at his best friend with a raised eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“You know what I mean, Shawn. You despise authority in _all_ it’s forms. A title is a way to just disrespect someone. But when you used _Dr. Gallagher_ , you respected her, and you meant it. There was nothing extra in your tone.”

Shawn shrugged as they got into Gus’ car. “She’s worked too hard to have it disrespected.”

“And how do you know that?” Gus asked.

“Because Lassie likes her. He gets bristly as soon as I walk into a room anyways, but he was extra bristly today. The only difference is her. He’s protective of her. And if Lassie likes and respects someone, then they’re probably a hell of a person.”

~*~

As promised, they came with lunch. Riona was impressed when she found a tuna sandwich with lettuce and tomato and pickle. She hadn’t even told them what she liked. There was even a bag of _wavy_ Ruffles. She eyed them suspiciously.

“How’d you do that?” she asked.

“I have a gift,” Shawn replied. “Now, what do you need for DNA?” he asked.

“Cheek swab.” Riona set her sandwich and chips aside, and she gloved her hands and got a swab. “Say _ahh_.”

Shawn opened his mouth for her, and she swabbed and then stuck the swab into a vial and capped it. There would be no contamination. She labelled the vial with Shawn’s name and the date.

“Detective Lassiter informed me that we already have your fingerprints on file, so you get out of that.”

Shawn shrugged. “I mean, I suppose that means I can eat, but I was looking forward to you making my fingers all dirty.”

“Shawn, I am right here.” His partner's voice was half-whine, half warning.

Riona looked at the other man. “I never actually got your real name. Plutonian Fae definitely does not sound like your legal name.”

“Burton Guster. You can call me Gus.” He smiled at her. “Are you a fellow astrophile?”

Riona beamed, nodding. “I’ve been working on a novel, and my main character is a Star Faerie.” She fingered her necklace, a faerie with a shooting star around her, and looked at Shawn. “Plutonian Fae. His favorite planet’s Pluto, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Gus said. “It is our smallest friend.”

Riona nodded. “I’m partial to—”

“Venus,” Shawn said.

“How do you know that?” Riona asked, eyes wide.

“You wanted a psychic demonstration. I got the food, the planet. Oh, and here’s your drink to go with your sandwich.” He reached into the bag and pulled out a Dr. Pepper.

Riona just stared at him. “Okay, what else do you have?” She was a scientist. She wanted to gather all the data she could.

“How personal do you want me to get?” he asked, sitting in a chair and leaning back, pulling out his own sandwich.

“What do you think you know about me?” Riona unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite.

“You’re bisexual; your favorite color’s purple. You have a cat who adores you. You’re single, but you’re not exactly looking. You don’t have any family here, and you work _a lot_. You’re filling a hole that was left a long time ago, and nothing is ever enough. You don’t wear pants, unless you absolutely have to put something on for a crime scene. You have tattoos, and you run cold. You believe in everyone, even though you see the worst of humanity laying out on your autopsy table day in and day out, and you turn to the stars whenever you get lost.”

Riona barely had time to blink as the words spilled out, and her eating became slower and slower as he went on and nailed every single thing he said. It was as if she was wearing a sign. She fidgeted with her star sapphire, having to set her sandwich down so that she didn’t drop it all over the floor.

“How’d I do?” Shawn asked.

Gus elbowed him, and judging from the wince and noise Shawn made, it was hard. Riona almost winced for him, but she was still shocked from how well he had just read her.

“Incredible,” she finally said.

She picked her sandwich back up and ate it in contemplative silence. There was a lot running through her head, and she had to give Shawn Spencer some credit. She _had_ asked for a psychic demonstration after all. He only delivered.

“Sandwich good?” he asked.

Riona nodded. “Thank you.”

“Anytime. If you need anything, just give us a call at our office. Psych.” Shawn grinned and pushed himself out of his chair.

“Don’t mess with my crime scenes,” she said.

“I make no promises, Dr. Gallagher.” That charming smile was back.

“Well, you’re going to learn some more things about me if you don’t follow protocol, and it’s not going to be fun.” Riona calmly raised an eyebrow at him to see how he would respond to the challenge.

“I’d like to learn about _all_ your sides,” he replied, tossing his own bag of chips up in the air. “Enjoy the rest of your lunch.”

“You, too, Mr. Spencer.” Riona shook her head, more at herself than anything.

“Call me Shawn.” It was a little too casual of a request.

“Then call me Riona," she replied; she wasn't really one who cared about the formalities, anyways.

“Bye, Riona.” Shawn gave her a little wave.

“Bye, Shawn. Bye, Gus.” Riona waved back.

Gus gave his goodbye, and Riona let out a very long sigh as the two exited her morgue. Working with a psychic. Her life was going to get a whole lot more interesting. She was absolutely sure about that. She rolled her sleeves up a little more, and she shivered as she glimpsed her tattoos before she finished eating her sandwich and moved on to the chips. _Wavy_ Lays. How could he have known that?


End file.
